Tunisia Islamists say no new gov't as crisis grows

Tunisians accompany the ambulance carrying the body of opposition leader Chokri Belaid, from his home to his father's home, Thursday Feb. 7, 2013 in Tunis. Tunisia's opposition parties on Thursday welcomed the government's move to dissolve itself in favor of a caretaker body following the shocking assassination of a leftist politician. The Wednesday assassination of prominent government critic Chokri Belaid plunged the country into one of its deepest political crises since the overthrow of the dictatorship in 2011. On ambulance can be read: Comrade Chokri Belaid (top), and Democratic National Party (below in red). (AP Photo/Amine Landoulsi)
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Tunisians accompany the ambulance carrying the body of opposition leader Chokri Belaid, from his home to his father's home, Thursday Feb. 7, 2013 in Tunis. Tunisia's opposition parties on Thursday welcomed the government's move to dissolve itself in favor of a caretaker body following the shocking assassination of a leftist politician. The Wednesday assassination of prominent government critic Chokri Belaid plunged the country into one of its deepest political crises since the overthrow of the dictatorship in 2011. On ambulance can be read: Comrade Chokri Belaid (top), and Democratic National Party (below in red). (AP Photo/Amine Landoulsi)
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"It's a recognition of the need to totally change the government which is incapable of running the country," said Taieb Baccouche, secretary-general of the right-of-center Tunisia's Call party, one of the main opposition parties. "There has to be immediate consultation between all the parties involved to avoid unilateral decisions."

The country's largest labor union, the General Union of Tunisian Workers, called for a general strike on Friday in a clear expression of their opposition to the Ennahda government. A threat to call a general strike in December was defused by negotiations.

As one of the most organized groups in society and with a left-wing leadership, the UGTT, as it is known, has long been a counterbalance to Ennahda's formidable grass roots network. The last time it called a general strike, in 1978, riots erupted around the country.

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Associated Press reporters Oleg Cetinic in Tunis and Paul Schemm in Rabat contributed to this report.